


Evolution

by orphan_account



Category: Free!
Genre: First Dates, M/M, Monkeys, Zoo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-07
Updated: 2014-07-07
Packaged: 2018-02-07 21:15:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1914117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rin and Nitori go to the zoo.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Evolution

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: awkward blushing dates, and someone wants to hold someone else's hand Key word: monkeys Characters: Rin & Nitori (submitted by Emily)

“Ooh, look, Matsuoka-sempai! Monkeys!” Nitori exclaimed, pointing at the enclave. 

Sure enough, chimpanzee were swinging from branch to branch behind a grassy opening behind a net. They were making so much noise, Rin silently had to admit it was kind of awesome. Nitori watched them with wide eyes and an even wider smile.

“So cool!” he said.

“Yeah…” Rin replied, not really sure what else to say. How would Nitori react if Rin was anything other than usual - his hands jammed into his pockets as he shuffled from one keep to the next?

He had asked him to the zoo and without even thinking Rin agreed to go. He and Nitori had grown closer recently, and it just seemed like that natural thing to do. 

The path led to a cute girl in khakis and a polo shirt with a nametag pinned to it spoke to the crowd of visitors. Nitori and Rin stood toward the back of the group.

“Grooming is a particular trait of the community,” she said. “To show care, they take turns cleaning, brushing, and tidying each other.”

Behind the glass, a pair of chimps were sitting under the shade of a tree. One was sitting, tapping his little feet happily, while the other rooted through his fur.

“It’s also a time of bonding and intimacy,” the guide said, her voice bubbly.

An image of Rin picking bugs out of Nitori’s hair rammed itself in his brain and he retreated at the thought.  _You fucking idiot_ , his internal voice said. What was wrong with him? How hard is it to figure out how to act during a date?

_Wait -_

_Was this a date?_

_Did this count as a date?_

_Did Nitori ever call it a date?_

_I don’t remember._

_Shit._

“Just like you would brush your hair or take a bath, chimpanzees take great care of their appearance and make sure that others are just as well groomed. Oftentimes, it’s in moments of relaxation that we find them performing such behavior. Chimpanzees are social creatures, much like us!”

Nitori was standing on his toes to get a better look. Rin couldn’t help it, so he tried to hide the smile that pulled on his lip by turning his head. It was so easy to impress him. He was like a kid that way.

Rin’s eyes kept wandering to the other people who had come to the zoo today. Lots of families with children were running around, excited to see all of the different kinds of animals. If Rin was their age, he was certain he would be right there with them. But things had changed. 

Nitori could afford that innocence.

Amongst the crowd, there were a few couples. They shared sodas, bought stuffed animals for each other, and smiled a lot.

Rin had purchased ice cream for the both of them earlier but Rin had eaten his in less than a minute and Nitori was still working on his. 

Wasn’t that an appropriate first step? Getting something nice for him?

The girl was talking all the while. “Bonobos, like the ones here, are extremely intimate with each other, often showcasing their affections openly. Grooming is a way to display such trust. Just like how we hold hands with the ones we like, chimpanzees enjoy doing things for each other.”

As if a lightbulb went off, Rin realized what was missing.

His hand was empty - so was Nitori’s. And they were so close to, hanging and their sides, only inches apart. All Rin had to do was reach out and take it -

But Nitori tore his hand away and pointed to a monkey showboating on a branch, flying fast through the tree, beating his chest and howling. “That one looks like Captain!” he laughed. 

Nitori’s hand had returned to his side, but Rin’s conviction had abandoned him. The more he tried to suppress the heat scorching its way across his cheeks, the redder he seemed to get.

What if he was reading too much into the relationship? What if this was just a platonic thing? 

He was being stupid again. It wasn’t the place to make Nitori feel uncomfortable either. 

Another part of him though told him otherwise. The quiet moments in the dorm with Nitori sitting on his bed where they would just talk - for hours even, the jokes they shared at practice - obscure to anyone who wasn’t there, the movies they watched together - having passionate debates on whether or not to watch  _Godzilla_  again.

Hold on… Were they already dating? Is this what it was like? Had he been so used to it, he didn’t even realize how natural it was?

If Nitori knew, he wasn’t letting on. Was Rin the only one in the dark or where there mutual confusion?

And in that half-second, it was decided that the only way he would find out was to try.

Rin twitched his wrist and his knuckles brushed Nitori’s, who stiffened and paused. 

Heat was rising in Rin’s cheeks again, and a bubbling acidity was threatening to stamp out his ragged breath. 

When Nitori didn’t react, Rin got a little more adventurous. He twisted his fingers into Nitori’s and locked his fingers into place.

Nitori bristled, like someone had dunked him in ice cold water, and his fingers grew clammy. Rin instinctively tried to pull his hand back, but Nitori’s grip clamped him down. He looked at Nitori who was staring at him, in wide-eyed wonder just as he would look at the animals. His grip was sure and solid. 

Then his smile spread upward, illuminating his eyes, and this time Rin didn’t hide his own.


End file.
